Has Lockdown slowed you down?

The COVID-19 lockdown has somehow negatively impacted our bodies. In this article, Dr Rajesh Vukkala, MD (General Medicine), Consultant Physician at VINN Hospital, Hyderabad tells us what precautionary steps we should take to maintain our physical health.

Hyderabad: The lockdown imposed by the government on us to help curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus has somehow impacted our bodies in a negative manner. Like it impacting us mentally, making us a little too frustrated, anxious and stressful, it is impacting us physically as well.

Dr. Rajesh Vukkala, MD (General Medicine), Consultant Physician at VINN Hospital, Hyderabad says, “The main reason for this cause is that the whole rhythm that we have been following has been disrupted. People have lost their circular way of activity. Therefore, there are hormonal changes, loss of rest and mental capacity.

Also, the people on medication are compromising and altering their time of dose as prescribed due to changed routines, which negatively affects the body”. Therefore, it becomes important for a person to take care of his/her own health, even if they don’t step out of their homes every day.

Here are some tips recommended by Dr. Rajesh to maintain our physical health:

Sleep Hygiene

Sleep is what relaxes our mind and recharges our body. Our disturbed sleeping pattern is what has been making us feel tired all day. You must have been repeatedly heard of “Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise", and that’s where our health lies. A good and sound sleep at a proper time, of 7-9 hours is what impacts our health.

Exposure To Sun

Sun exposure is an essential part of the day. It provides us with Vitamin D and lack of it may cause lethargy, since we are staying at home all day. Therefore, try sitting in the sun for some time every day. It is also good for boosting immunity.

H2O To The Rescue

Water is probably recommended for anything related to health. Keeping hydrated is the key to a healthier and fitter body. Especially now in summers, there are higher chances of dehydration and thus, intake of water should be increased. It also affects our overall body performance throughout the day.

Maintain A Routine

“Just stick to the norms you have been following till now”. Carry out all the activities you have been doing till now, before lockdown. Wake up, do your chores, exercise a little, do something creative and spend time with your family. Hence, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proper routine is important.

Skip Naps

Skipping naps during the day time is important. It affects the routine and causes sleeplessness during nights. Take a power nap only if you are actually tired with all the hard work throughout the day and not just because you are bored. Also, the nap should be short and not last for more than an hour.

“It is important to avoid abrupt changes in your daily life routine”, says Dr. Rajesh. Our mind and body have been equally affected in this lockdown. Thus, on one hand where we talk about our mental health, dealing with stress and anxiety during these tough times, we also need to talk about our physical health as well and work upon it.

And as we know, “A healthy mind lies in a healthy body”, it is time to work on becoming active again, physically as well as mentally.